Peru

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

Bird Flu Continues to Wreak Havoc, Killing Seals Worldwide

Tens of thousands of seals, sea lions have died, and scientists aren't sure how to slow the spread

(Newser) - Avian influenza is killing tens of thousands of seals and sea lions in different corners of the world, disrupting ecosystems and flummoxing scientists who don't see a clear way to slow the devastating virus . The worldwide bird flu outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths of...

Peru's Former President Gets Out of Prison Early

Alberto Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in 2009

(Newser) - Peru's former President Alberto Fujimori was released from prison Wednesday on humanitarian grounds, despite a request from a regional human rights court to delay his release. Fujimori, 85, was serving a 25-year sentence in connection with the slayings of 25 Peruvians by death squads in the 1990s. Peru's...

Peru Says More Than Half Its Glacier Surface Is Gone

In one mountain range, 99% of glacial surface has disappeared since 1962

(Newser) - Peru has lost more than half of its glacier surface in the last six decades, and 175 glaciers became extinct due to climate change between 2016 and 2020, Peruvian scientists from the state agency that studies glaciers said Wednesday, per the AP . "In 58 years, 56.22% of the...

Cops Use Cover of Halloween to Make a Drug Bust

Officers in Peru dress as Freddy Krueger, others, and march right into suspects' neighborhood

(Newser) - It's not every day you see Freddy Krueger making a drug bust, but not every day is Halloween. Police in Peru released video , per the AP, of agents in costumes walking into the Lima neighborhood of San Juan de Lurigancho looking for all the world like happy Halloween revelers....

This Is the Face of a Teen Sacrificed by the Inca

Archaeologist and sculptor Oscar Nilsson reconstructs the face of Peru's 'Juanita' mummy

(Newser) - The possible living face of Peru's most famous mummy, a teenage Inca girl sacrificed in a ritual more than 500 years ago atop the Andes, was unveiled Tuesday. The silicone-made bust portrays a young woman with pronounced cheekbones, black eyes, and tanned skin, per the AP . Produced by a...

This Guy Might've Been the Heaviest Animal Earth's Seen

Meet the long-extinct Perucetus colossus

(Newser) - There could be a new contender for heaviest animal to ever live. While today's blue whale has long held the title, the AP reports that scientists have dug up fossils from an ancient giant that could tip the scales. Researchers described the new species—named Perucetus colossus, or "...

They Stole 200 New Sneakers. One Problem
They Stole 200 New
Sneakers. One Problem
in case you missed it

They Stole 200 New Sneakers. One Problem

They were all for the right foot

(Newser) - Thieves who broke into a shoe shop in Peru made off with sneakers worth an estimated $13,000—but they're unlikely to make any money from the crime unless they have some one-legged buyers lined up. Authorities say the three people who broke into the store in Huyasco took...

Earthquake Kills at Least 4, Traps Survivors
Earthquake Kills at Least 15,
Traps Survivors
updated

Earthquake Kills at Least 15, Traps Survivors

Downed power lines in Ecuador complicate rescue crews' searches

(Newser) - This story has been updated with the most recent death toll. A strong earthquake shook southern Ecuador and northern Peru on Saturday, killing at least 15 people and injuring more than 445, trapping others under rubble, and sending rescue teams out into streets littered with debris and fallen power lines....

Cops Make Unusual Find in Ex-Food Delivery Man's Bag

Man in Peru called 'Juanita' his 'spiritual girlfriend'; police say it was an ancient mummy

(Newser) - Peruvian police have arrested a 26-year-old man allegedly found carrying an ancient mummy—whom he reportedly described as his "spiritual girlfriend"— in his food delivery bag. Police said three men were acting drunk at a park, also described as an archaeological site, in the southern region of Puno,...

Protesters Rush Police to Neutralize Tear Gas Canisters

Volunteers in Peru wrest hot canisters from officers so demonstrations can go on

(Newser) - When police fire tear gas at protesters demanding the resignation of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, most run away. A few, though, run toward the gas canisters as quickly as possible—to neutralize them. These are the "deactivators." Donning gas masks, safety goggles and thick gloves, these volunteers grab...

Just Hold Off on Booking a Trip to Machu Picchu

Hundreds of tourists are stranded as Peru closes down landmark amid anti-government protests

(Newser) - Peru indefinitely shut the famed ancient ruins of Machu Picchu on Saturday in the latest sign that anti-government protests that began last month are increasingly engulfing the South American country. The Culture Ministry said it had closed the country's most famous tourist attraction, as well as the Inca Trail...

Thousands Descend on Peru's Capital: 'Dina, Resign Already!'

Protesters arrive in Lima to demand resignation of new President Dina Boluarte

(Newser) - Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Peru's capital Friday and were met with volleys of tear gas for the second straight day, as demonstrators made clear they'll keep up their mobilizations to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte. Many of the protesters in Lima had...

Peru Is at a 'Breaking Point,' Protesters Say

Anti-government protests moved into country's capital Thursday

(Newser) - Thousands of protesters demanding the ouster of President Dina Boluarte poured into Peru’s capital Thursday, clashing with police who fired tear gas. Many came from remote regions, where dozens have died in unrest that has gripped the country since Peru’s first leader from a rural Andean background was...

The 'Wall of Shame' Will Be Demolished

Per the ruling of Peru's Constitutional Court

(Newser) - A "discriminatory" wall is set to come down. That's by order of Peru's Constitutional Court, which ruled a 6-mile long wall in Lima that's nicknamed the "Wall of Shame" must be demolished within 180 days. AFP reports that the initial portion of the wall was...

Political Crisis Strands Americans in Machu Picchu

Rail lines to airport, highways have been blocked in Peru

(Newser) - Violent protests that began after the removal from office of President Pedro Castillo are keeping American tourists from leaving Peru. The government declared a national emergency on Wednesday, per NBC News . Hundreds of foreign visitors in total have been stranded around the historic city of Machu Picchu. Brian Vega said...

Peru President Gives in to Protesters' Demands

Proposes moving up elections

(Newser) - Peru's newest president, Dina Boluarte, gave in to protesters' demands early Monday, announcing in a nationally televised address that she will send Congress a proposal to move up elections, the AP reports. Boluarte's decision came after thousands of demonstrators took to the streets around Peru for another day...

Peru's President Asks New Cabinet for Promise

Dina Boluarte, facing calls for new elections, seeks anti-corruption pledge

(Newser) - Peru’s newest president, Dina Boluarte, swore in her Cabinet on Saturday, just three days after becoming the country's first female head of state, and asked each minister to pledge not to be corrupt while in office. The 16 ministers picked by Boluarte, who on Wednesday was elevated from...

Peru's Congress, President Try to Remove Each Other
Ousted Peru President
Charged With Rebellion
UPDATED

Ousted Peru President Charged With Rebellion

After dramatic day, Pedro Castillo's successor calls for national unity government

(Newser) - The president of Peru was arrested on a charge of rebellion Wednesday after he sought to dissolve the legislature and take unilateral control of the government, triggering a grave constitutional crisis. Pedro Castillo was ousted from office in a 101-6 vote. He was replaced by Vice President Dina Boluarte, who...

Virtual Hearing on Peru's Leader Has Unexpected Guest

Clip of male stripper interrupts videoconference on corruption probe into Pedro Castillo

(Newser) - A virtual public hearing into possible corruption involving Peruvian President Pedro Castillo took a briefly bizarre turn on Wednesday thanks to what the Mirror calls a "lewd gaffe" that made its way into the videoconference. As seen in a clip that's now widely being shared on Twitter and...

After Twice Praising Hitler, an Apology From Peru's PM

Anibal Torres' comment comes amid a political crisis

(Newser) - Peru's prime minster has apologized for his praise of Adolf Hitler—the latest blow to a government already facing a political crisis over soaring inflation and corruption allegations. Anibal Torres, 79, had been speaking in a cabinet session in the Junín capital of Huancayo, the site of ongoing...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Most Read on Newser